FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON by Keyes, Daniel - 1966

New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc, 1966. First edition. Very good plus in very good jacket. First printing of the Nebula award-winning novel, tackling the ethics of human experimentation through the experiences of a mentally disabled man. First published as a short story in the April 1959 issue of THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION (which won a Hugo award), the book's delay until 1966 occurred in part because publishers kept insisting on a happier ending that Keyes rejected (indeed, the magazine that first solicited the story, GALAXY, ultimately turned it down on those grounds as well). Commonly taught to middle school students, the story has been frequently challenged and banned. It remains a classic work of science fiction, exploring disability rights and the morality of scientific progress. 8'' x 5.5''. Original grey cloth, metallic blue- and green-lettered spine. In original price-clipped color pictorial dust jacket designed by Carl Smith. Orange endpapers. [8], 274 pages. Boards slightly bowed; jacket with small dampstain on rear panel (barely visible), a few short closed tears, and faint rubbing.